Hooray for Boxing Day sales. While I generally buy less CDs overall in a year nowadays than maybe I once did, I usually open up the wallet throttle for the post-Christmas sales – pick up some stuff that I’ve had as promos or downloads and want in proper art-laden form as well as try out some new stuff, see how it goes. Here’s yesterday’s haul:

Richard Buckner / Meadow (Merge) – I’ve had this one as an art-less promo copy since the Summer and intended to pick it up at his show in September but, for whatever reason, didn’t. It makes me want to go on a road trip. If I had a car. And come on, it’s Gillard-powered.

MP3: Richard Buckner – “Town”

Califone / Roots & Crowns (Thrill Jockey) – Califone have forever been filed under the “mean to investigate” pile, but I never have. This record made more than a few appearances in my reader’s poll and I got it for dirt cheap, so why not? I’ll report back on my findings when I’ve actually had a chance to listen to it.

Video: Califone – “Spider’s House” (MOV)
MySpace: Califone

Jarvis Cocker / Jarvis (Rough Trade) – Of all the bands from the Britpop era, I think it’s Pulp that has aged the best and whom I still have the most affection for. Jarv has been out of sight for a while now but from what I’ve heard from this one, he hasn’t lost his edge. I’m eager to get into this one.

Video: Jarvis Cocker – “Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time” (Youtube)

Destroyer / Destroyer’s Rubies (Merge) – An eMusic acquisition I’ve meant to get in physical form for some time now. Maybe the biggest grower of the year for me, starting from “WTF” back in May or so and now a firm “OMG”. It will certainly get more spins now that I can listen to it somewhere besides work (on the iPod).

MP3: Destroyer – “European Oils”
MySpace: Destroyer

Early Day Miners / Let Us Garlands Bring (Secretly Canadian) – You may recall EDM’s latest Offshore appearing as a dark horse in this year’s year-end list. I’m now delving into their back catalog, starting with this album on which the original “Offshore” song, which inspired this year’s full-length, appeared. It turned it up used in the most unlikely of shops – a second-hand store specializing in classical vinyl.

MP3: Early Day Miners – “Autumn Wake”
MySpace: EArly Day Miners

Jose Gonzalez / Veneer (Mute) – I hadn’t really intended on getting this but I found it second-hand for a good price and I’ve definitely liked what I’ve heard, so why not? Only buying what you plan on buying makes for boring shopping.

MP3: Jose Gonzalez – “Stay In The Shade”
Video: Jose Gonzalez – “Hand On Your Heart” (MOV)
Video: Jose Gonzalez – “Stay In The Shade” (MOV)
MySpace: Jose Gonzalez

Great Lake Swimmers / Great Lake Swimmers (Weewerk) – I’d initially thought that just getting the second record, Bodies & Minds, would satisfy my GLS joneses but as it turns out, it just makes me want more. And I’m a sucker for grain silo records.

MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “I Will Never See The Sun”
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers – “Moving Pictures Silent Films”
MySpace: Great Lake Swimmers

The Hold Steady / Almost Killed Me (French Kiss) – I don’t think I need to talk about The Hold Steady anymore. Their first album is another eMusic acquisition that I’ve played to death, which raises the question of why then I would want to get it in a much more fragile, physical form? Because, that’s why.

MP3: The Hold Steady – “The Swish”
Video: The Hold Steady – “The Swish” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Hold Steady

Mazzy Star / So Tonight That I Might See (Capitol) – I’ve meant to pick this up for, oh, about 13 years or so but never have. Actually the last few years I’ve been waiting for the Unreflected best-of but it’s been delayed so many times that I doubt it’ll ever see the light of day. And considering they only have three proper albums and they’re all dirt cheap, it seems silly to put it off any longer. Their narcoleptic blend of folk/blues, dreampop and Hope Sandoval’s deliciously languid vocals are right up my alley and I’ll neglect this band no longer.

Video: Mazzy Star – “Fade Into You” (YouTube)
MySpace: Mazzy Star

Joanna Newsom / The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City) – Yet another eMusic album made flesh. Like The Hold Steady, (too) much e-ink has been spilled on Ms Newsom so I’ll just say that I like this record more than Ys and now that I’ll be able to play it at home, proper-like, I’ll probably like it even more.

Video: Joanna Newsom – “The Sprout & The Bean”

Also picked up the new Cat Power-ed issue of Magnet – and correct me if I’m wrong, but did she not acquire the bling medallion in the cover photo at the Toronto show in September? Pretty sure she did.

And also in the new Magnet – Kevin Shields contributes a long piece, setting the record straight about the making of Loveless and declares, “we are 100 percent going to make another My Bloody Valentine record unless we die or something”. Bring it on, Kev-o.

And despite the post title, there is no Boo Radleys content in this post. Except this.

MP3: The Boo Radleys – “What’s In The Box? (See Whatcha Got)”